August M
Thousands fleeing online scam compounds in Cambodia are ending up on the streets, as aid groups warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis.
According to The Associated Press, an unprecedented wave of workers has been leaving scam centers in recent weeks, overwhelming the country’s only dedicated shelter for survivors.
One of them is Youga, an African man who escaped a compound near the Thai border and arrived in Phnom Penh with just $100. For two nights he slept outside to save money before being taken in by a Caritas-run shelter. He asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of reprisals.
Shelter at breaking point
The Caritas facility, previously funded in part by the United States, is now operating with sharply reduced staff and budget. It has had to turn away more than 300 people, according to Mark Taylor, who works on human trafficking issues in Cambodia.
“It’s become triage,” Taylor said.
As of last week, around 150 people were staying at the shelter. Many sleep in a shared room without basic items such as pillows or blankets.
Funding has tightened significantly. The shelter had been due to receive $1.4 million from USAID between 2023 and 2026 through its partner Winrock International, Taylor said.
That support ended after U.S. foreign assistance was suspended and USAID dismantled in early 2025. Additional funding cuts have also affected the International Organization for Migration, which had provided partial support.
“It’s hand to mouth,” Taylor said of the shelter’s food budget.
Mass departures
The surge follows growing international pressure on Cambodia to crack down on cyberfraud operations. The U.N. human rights office estimated in 2023 that as many as 100,000 people were working in scam compounds in Cambodia alone.
Prime Minister Hun Manet recently described combating cybercrime as a “deliberate political priority,” and the government says it deported more than 1,600 foreign nationals linked to scam operations in January.
Amnesty International said verified videos and interviews with 35 victims depict a “chaotic and dangerous” exit from compounds, with limited state involvement. “Thousands of traumatized survivors are being left to fend for themselves with no state support,” said Montse Ferrer, the group’s regional research director.
Cambodia’s information minister, Neth Pheaktra, rejected claims that victims were being neglected, saying those identified as trafficking victims receive protection and assistance.
Caught in limbo
Rescuers say many survivors have nowhere to turn. Some end up in immigration detention, others pool money for hotel rooms. Those whose embassies are active locally may receive assistance; others cannot.
Youga, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he was beaten inside the compound after refusing to work. The AP could not independently verify all aspects of his account but reviewed messages he sent seeking help.
He cannot return home because of ethnic violence targeting his community and has no embassy nearby to support him.
For now, his goal is simple. “I want,” he said, “to rebuild my life with dignity.”
Sources: Associated Press
